BMJ 2001;322:1484 ( 16 June )

Letters

Integrated medicine

    Many orthopaedic surgeons do not think of patients just as malfunctioning elbows
    Integrated medicine means doctors will be in charge
    Finding the time is most important
    Science of the art of medicine does exist
    Adding complementary medicine will not stop descent into soulless medicine
    Medicine can't be everything to everyone
    Cost of consultations is key issue
    Road to betrayal is short
    Practising integrated medicine

Many orthopaedic surgeons do not think of patients just as malfunctioning elbows

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITORAs an orthopaedic surgeon specialising entirely in elbow and shoulder disorders I could not let the editor's choice on restoring the soul of medicine slip by without comment.¹ Unlike the orthopaedic surgeon you refer to, I do read the BMJ each week (although I confess that my wife, a paediatrician, pays the subscription). I also note that in the editorial from the previous week on shoulder pain at work the one year prevalence of shoulder pain in the general population was estimated to be 20-50%, but only 40-50% of those affected consult a primary care physician, let alone an orthopaedic surgeon.²

Most musculoskeletal complaints are influenced, if not caused, by circumstances of daily life. This is not just physical activity but psychosocial factors, including job pressures and stress at home. The commonest elbow complaint is tennis elbow. It is a considerable problem to those who have it; symptoms . . . [Full text of this article]

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